


Predictability

by Missy



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore
Genre: Bittersweet, Conversations, First Meetings, Gen, Hopeful Ending, Making Friends, New Friendships, Prophecy, Trick or Treat: Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-23 20:43:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21087548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/pseuds/Missy
Summary: Cassandra's prophecies are destined never to be believed, a fact that has come to bother her only slightly as time has gone on.When a mysterious woman in a sky-blue cloak arrives to ask for advice, she's surprised when her words don't fall on deaf ears.





	Predictability

**Author's Note:**

  * For [roguefaerie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/roguefaerie/gifts).

When the woman comes to her home, Cassandra is startled by the appearance of her. It’s not that she wasn’t expecting visitors (_you will see a beautiful woman with long, blond hair and kind eyes, wearing a sky blue cloak_, the thought had come to her and floated away, unexpressed, because she knew exactly what the toll of expressing them was), it’s that she’s so ethereally lovely that it feels almost like an affront to watch her move into the belly of Cassandra’s private sanctuary, her quiet home.

“Are you Cassandra?” the woman asks quietly.

Her mouth quirks. “If I tell you yes, will you believe me?”

The woman smiles. “I don’t quite fall within the limit of your curse,” she says. “So yes, I would.”

Cassandra hummed. “What might I do for you?” she asked.

“I have a question for you,” said the woman. “Of the deadly earnest sort, which only an oracle may answer.”

Cassandra nods. “Please, go on.”

She takes a deep breath. “My marriage. Will it be a happy one?”

Cassandra – who begins to recognize this girl, the more anxious she becomes – considers the words. Allows them to roll about it her mind. She has heard in the village (the village where she is a mouse, a wraith, unnoticed) that the daughter of Demeter had rebelled against her mother’s rule to become a bride, and now for six months cold, wind and snow besets the world outside. 

Persephone had swallowed the seeds of a pomegranate to marry herself to the god of the underworld, who had stolen her in a dispute with her mother. And Demeter – wise as she is vengeful – has bargained Hades into allowing her daughter to emerge from the underworld for half the year. 

Cassandra can see the difficult path ahead of them both – the fighting, the anger, the sadness. But also the joy, the togetherness. Her mother will never entirely forgive Hades; sometimes that will matter. Sometimes it won’t.

“Not everyone can be happy all the time,” Cassandra says.

A look flashes across Persephone’s face – one, to the prophet’s face, that is of complete understanding. 

“Some day,” Persephone promises the woman, “it will be easier. Someone will understand you, see you, just as I have.”

She presses several golden coins into Cassandra’s palm, eager and desperate. Cassandra rolls them thoughtfully between her hands; it’s enough to feed her for a few months, if she’s careful.

“Thank you,” she says. Cassandra doesn’t quite believe the goddesss yet, but as she leaves, it’s almost enough to have that sort of faith bestowed on her.


End file.
